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Weight Watchers vs. Jenny Craig: GoBankingRates.com Investigates Which Weight Loss Program is Best for Saving Money and Losing Weight
To help consumers kick off their New Year’s weight loss goals without breaking the bank, leading personal finance resource www.GoBankingRates.com investigates popular paid weight loss programs, Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig, to determine which provides better savings.
EL SEGUNDO, CA, January 4, 2013 – With a new year ahead, many individuals are making the ever-popular New Year’s resolutions to save money and lose weight. For Americans who want help staying motivated and getting fit, paid weight loss programs can be attractive – but are they worth the cost? Leading personal finance resource Go Banking Rates investigates two of the most popular paid weight loss programs, Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig, to find which is most effective at helping members lose pounds while keeping more money in their savings bank account.
“Staying healthy, both physically and financially, are extremely important and admirable goals to set for 2013. Of course, we shouldn’t sacrifice one for the other, so if a person decides to use a paid service to lose weight, it really needs to be affordable, too,” explain Go Banking Rates managing editor, Casey Bond.
Consumers considering these popular weight loss plans may recognize them by their celebrity endorsers, namely Jessica Simpson for Weight Watchers and Kirstie Alley for Jenny Craig. As a celebrity who has publicly struggled with her weight, Alley lost up to 100 pounds as a Jenny Craig spokesperson, according to a September 2012 article on FoxBusiness.com.
In a September 2012 press release from Weight Watchers, Simpson said, “This time I’m going to adopt healthy habits that can last a lifetime.” Simpson added, “The eye-opener for me is that I’m losing weight without feeling deprived.” Additionally, in a new Weight Watchers commercial that aired on December 31, 2012, Simpson claims Weight Watchers helped her lose 50 pounds after having her first daughter in May 2012.
Comparing Weight Watchers & Jenny Craig
While these two spokeswomen may have found success with Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig, they are actually making money using the program – not spending money, as everyday members are. Go Banking Rates compared the two paid weight loss programs to discover which offered effective weight loss solutions, while providing greater savings.
Weight Watchers
The main components of the Weight Watchers system are the POINT system, which guides food and diet choices, and the support of a network, either through attending local meetings or through the online program, Weight Watchers Online.
The Cost: Depending on different program options, weight-loss hopefuls can become Weight Watchers members for $18.95 to $42.95 a month. On the basic end, the program gives members access to information and recipes for the POINTS system, while those who pay more can attend local weekly support meetings.
Jenny Craig
This paid weight loss program takes a different approach by offering prepackaged and per-portioned meals intended to help those attempting to lose weight to start by getting used to healthier foods and portions.
The Cost: Club membership can cost anywhere from $36.00 for an 8-week program up to $488 per year, depending on which options members choose, according to a price sheet on JennyCraig.com. Food provided by Jenny Craig is priced separately, and costs will vary depending on items selected.
Click here to read the full comparison of Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig.
About Go Banking Rates
GoBankingRates.com is a national website dedicated to connecting readers with the best interest rates on financial services nationwide, as well as informative personal finance content, news and tools. Go Banking Rates collects interest rate information from more than 4,000 U.S. banks and credit unions, making it the only online rates aggregator with the ability to provide the most comprehensive and authentic local interest rate information.
Additionally, Go Banking Rates partners with a number of major media outlets such as Business Insider and US News & World Report to provide compelling and edifying personal finance content, and its expert editors have been featured and quoted on several premier finance websites like Yahoo! Finance, Forbes, The Street, Huffington Post and more.